Chapter 190: with translation of chapter title

Chan Prefecture, Han Tong's residence.

The night was already deep, yet the study still had its lights lit.

Han Tong and Zhang Yongde sat facing each other, with a few plates of side dishes and a jug of turbid wine on the table between them, yet neither moved to pick up their chopsticks or raise their cups.

Both men's faces bore an unmistakable fatigue and heaviness.

"What do you think of today's affairs?"

Han Tong was the first to break the silence, his voice somewhat hoarse; he picked up his wine cup, then irritably set it down again.

Zhang Yongde sighed, rubbing his brow.

"How else could we see it?"

"Chen Wenzhong and Zhao Yuanlang are already at odds like fire and water."

"At today's meeting, we were just short of drawing swords against each other."

He recalled the tense, sword-drawn scene in the hall earlier that day, and still felt a pang of anxiety.

Shi Dun and Wang Yansheng's public shouting match in court.

Chen Wen's seemingly calm but unyielding insistence on reason.

Zhao Kuangyin's tactic of retreating to advance, hiding a hidden blade—his so‑called 'high righteousness'.

And there was the brief, bone‑chilling clash between the two at the doorway.

All of this shows that the rift within the Chan Prefecture army has become too deep to mend.

"Chen Wenzhong has a deep foundation; he has governed the three counties of Luo River into an iron barrel—his troops are elite, supplies ample, and superiors and subordinates alike are loyal."

Han Tong spoke in a muffled voice, his tone complex.

"Today he seemed to yield, but in fact he played us."

"Those five thousand shi of grain were sent straight to my frontier troops under my command, for exclusive use… heh, Zhao Yuanlang must now hate me so much he wishes to bear a grudge against me as well."

Zhang Yongde gave a bitter laugh.

"Who would say otherwise?"

"This Chen Wenzhong appears steady and taciturn, but his mind is exceedingly meticulous."

"His move both saved Wang Po's face, dealt with the 'big picture', gave Zhao Kuangyin no real advantage, and instead left us indebted to him—at least for now, we shouldn't be too harsh on Luo River regarding grain and fodder."

He paused, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"As for Zhao Yuanlang, he gained reputation but lost actual benefit; his resentment must have grown even stronger."

"Moreover, he has the Iron Crow Army's strange forces backing him, making his actions ever more radical; if this continues, it will surely be no good."

Han Tong slammed his fist heavily on the table, making the cups and dishes clatter.

"These two scoundrels!"

"The commander is still ill, yet they can't wait!"

"Do they still have any sense of hierarchy! Do they still care about the overall situation of Chan Prefecture!"

His chest heaved, clearly he was not lightly angered.

Zhang Yongde was relatively calmer; he pressed down on Han Tong's arm.

"Jinghan (Han Tong's courtesy name), calm your anger."

"The situation is such that neither you nor I can reverse it."

"Chen and Zhao are no mere pond‑dwelling creatures; their ambitions are not small."

"With the commander present, we can still suppress them; should the commander meet with misfortune…"

He did not continue, but the meaning went without saying.

Han Tong panted heavily, then fell silent.

He too understood all too well.

Now Chan Prefecture may appear to still be Later Zhou territory, but in fact it is already seething with undercurrents, factions clearly divided.

He, Han Tong, and Zhang Yongde, these veteran generals, were originally the mainstay maintaining the balance.

But now, that balance has already been broken.

They are caught between Chen Wen and Zhao Kuangyin's two ever‑expanding forces, torn left and right, powerless.

To help Zhao Kuangyin check Chen Wen, they yet fear the strange Iron Crow Army behind him, and Zhao Kuangyin himself is wildly ambitious, certainly not one to settle for a subordinate position.

To support Chen Wen to stabilize the situation, they yet dread his growing power that is hard to control, a top‑heavy situation that will only breed future disaster.

Maintain neutrality? Neither side will welcome it; instead, both may see it as an obstacle to be eliminated first.

"Are we really just going to watch them fight it out?"

Han Tong growled unwillingly.

"Until we utterly ruin the foundation of Chan Prefecture?"

"Let the Khitan to the north laugh at us? Let Bian Liang find an excuse to intervene?"

Zhang Yongde poured himself a cup, downed it in one gulp; the fiery liquid scorched his throat, bringing a brief sting.

"What else can we do?"

"Forcibly suppress?"

"How many troops under our command can we still absolutely control?"

"Chen Wenzhong's Jing'an Army has now become a tiger‑wolf force; his Luo River base is deep, supplies plentiful."

"Zhao Yuanlang, aided by the Iron Crow Army, has those three hundred 'fire‑tempered' fierce soldiers you've seen—extraordinarily brutal; his own troops are likewise not weak."

"And us?"

"Among our men, those with differing thoughts are likely not few."

"These days, soldiers follow whoever gives them more benefits, whoever can lead them to survive and live better; they will go with that person."

Loyalty and righteousness? One must first have a life to be able to speak.

His words carried a kind of bleak, world-weary sadness and realism.

Han Tong opened his mouth, and all that came out was a long sigh.

Helplessness.

A deep sense of helplessness gripped these two senior generals who had long held prestige in the army.

The times have changed.

The old order is collapsing.

The new rules have not yet been established.

In this transitional chaotic period, those who cling to old notions and try to maintain the situation have instead become the most awkward and powerless group.

"For the present plan..."

Zhang Yongde set down his wine cup and lowered his voice.

"We can only do our best to negotiate and barely maintain."

"In matters concerning resisting foreign invasion and stabilizing the situation, we must be united in stance and cannot retreat."

"As for the disagreement between the two of them..."

He shook his head.

"We can only try to restrain; don't make it too awkward, lest it implicate the innocent."

"Everything... let's see how the lord's illness is, then look at the wind direction of Bian Liang."

Han Tong remained silent for a long time, eventually nodding wearily.

He knows this is currently the only method that isn't a method.

Balance?

How many chips do they have left to balance those two flood dragon pythons about to soar into the sky, destined to decide the female dragon?

Perhaps.

They themselves have long become pawns on this board, unable to control their own fate.

In the study, the candlelight flickered.

It reflected the bewildered, helpless silhouettes of the two old generals.

It also reflected the gloomy, perilous future of Chan Prefecture and even the whole world.